Action plans against sexual violence and harassment in higher education welcomed by Minister Harris.Simon Harris TD has today (Monday, 28 June 2021) welcomed the publication by higher education institutions (HEIs) of their action plans aimed at ending sexual violence and harassment.
The action plans address the fifteen key outcomes set out in the ‘Framework for Consent,’ which are clustered into four thematic areas focusing on:
- institutional culture
- institutional processes
- institutional policies
- targeted Initiatives
HEIs submitted the plans to the Higher Education Authority’s Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, which has oversight of the framework. They will be available for staff and students to access on HEI websites. HEIs will be required to report every year to the HEA on progress in putting the framework into action.
Minister Harris said: “Addressing sexual violence is a priority for me and all those in the third-level sector. We must be leaders in this field.Each institution has set out for its staff and students what it intends to do in this area and importantly, it must report to the Higher Education Authority in the Autumn and every year after on the progress it is making on introducing its policies”
The ‘Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions: Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive – Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions’ was launched in April 2019. The framework aims to create a campus culture which is safe, respectful and supportive.
The centre also works with the national advisory committee, HEIs and their representative bodies to:
- develop awareness around issues focused on by the framework
- support people who might be affected by theseissues
- develop a standardised annual national survey of staff and students, to monitor their experiences